[ais]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

So, local traffic at Jodhpur does not bother you?



Are you talking about the new 4 lane Ambala- Hissar highway? The last time, I did in July there were no breakers. This is a new highway, why will they put breakers?

At the Gujrat border, they will almost always check. There is a big RTO / Truck parking. Always stop, they will look at you or ask few questions and if in doubt will open your trunk or luggage. If your final destination is outside Gujarat, they normally don’t look for anything and let you pass.

It wasn't much, and being a smallish town, drive through time is not all that much. Welcomehotel is on the outskirts, so at checkin at evening, there is no problem of traffic as compared to hotels inside Jodhpur.

The speedbreakers are there, and quite nasty. Thumb rule is to slow down in anticipation at each town.

Yes, its better to stop and let the cops satisfy themselves.

[JSB]

Finally made the drive.. it was much better than expected and made good time

Day1: Mohali-Ambala-Hisar-Jodhpur-Sirohi-Palanpur-Mehsana-Ahmedabad
1170 km, 13 hrs drive + 1 hr halt.. Mohali start 630am.. Amd hotel 830pm
* Haryana stretch is just awesome.. safe divided roads.. passing through open fields.. hardly any towns/villages on route.. similar to KMP
* Rajasthan stretch is good as well.. although undivided road till Jodhpur but divided after that.. passes through a few villages/towns with a few speed breakers there but you hardly feel the pinch.. google took me bang through Jodhpur and that 20 mins through city traffic were a bit boring.. drive becomes scenic down south, passing through hills before Guj
* Guj stretch is a complete mess.. horrible broken roads (being repaired and expanded).. untamed traffic and huge jams at crossing.. major bummer.. will try NH48 next time.. not sure if that is any better though with the expansion work happening there as well

Day2: Ahmedabad-Baroda-Surat-Panvel (std route)
550 km, 8 hrs drive + 1 hr halt.. Amd start 930am.. Panvel end 630pm
* Fought peak Ahmd traffic to hit NE.. that was packed as well.. heavy vehicles till Surat but drive became enjoyable after that.. roads are good but traffic is bad (esp heavy traffic)
* Mah stretch is beautiful with mild ghats and greenery all around.. hit 30 min jam to cross Vasai creek and then took 2 hrs from there to Panvel in crazy Mumbai traffic (took left from Hotel Fountain and went through Thane-Kalwa bridge-Navi Mumbai)

Car was Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSI AT.. was in its full glory, munching miles and cruising smoothly most of time.. fuel economy 12 kmpl.. total 26 toll booths costing 1670 bucks.. Fastag all the way.. no jams at any toll booth

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by JSB

Day1: Mohali-Ambala-Hisar-Jodhpur-Sirohi-Palanpur-Mehsana-Ahmedabad
1170 km, 13 hrs drive + 1 hr halt.

That's some very good average speeds. It takes around same time these days from Gurgaon to Ahmedabad, so this route is definitely better.

Do you have to go inside Hissar or how do you connect to Jodhpur road? Google does show Hissar Bypass. How's road from Hissar to Jodhpur? Did you checked with anyone if turning towards Makrana/ Kishangarh was a better option? And any way to bypass Jodhpur.

will try NH48 next time.. not sure if that is any better though with the expansion work happening there as well

Gujarat portion from Ghandhinagar to Samalji is a mess. Though even beyond, the work is in progress but one can do highway speeds and diversions are clear. Road quality is very good.

[prasanna.sub82]

Hey Guys, I plan to drive down Mumbai to Sawai Madhopur later this month and had the following queries:

1. Route recommendations - Gmaps shows me 2 options (one via Vadodara-Godhra- Banswara, the other via Nasik-Indore-Kota). Distance is pretty much the same, any feedback on the road conditions??

2. Is this doable in a day, if we start at 4am? We will be 2 of us who can drive, taking turns at the wheel. I am keen to avoid an overnight stay at hotels.

3. If a stay is inevitable, what should be my pitstop? Any recos for a safe overnight stay along the above routes?

TIA

[ais]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

That's some very good average speeds. It takes around same time these days from Gurgaon to Ahmedabad, so this route is definitely better.

Do you have to go inside Hissar or how do you connect to Jodhpur road? Google does show Hissar Bypass. How's road from Hissar to Jodhpur? Did you checked with anyone if turning towards Makrana/ Kishangarh was a better option? And any way to bypass Jodhpur.



Gujarat portion from Ghandhinagar to Samalji is a mess. Though even beyond, the work is in progress but one can do highway speeds and diversions are clear. Road quality is very good.

You won't need to go inside Hisar or any other town in Haryana- all are bypassed. Hisar to Jodhpur is 2 lane, but smooth and traffic is sparse- you will be able to hold optimal speed of you vehicle.

Jodhpur also can be crossed in a few minutes if you avoid peak hours.

[JSB]

Here is the summary of the entire trip.. all readings taken from cars MID.. will post links to some dashcam videos too..



As ais mentioned, all towns are cleanly bypassed in HR, incl Hisar

Road becomes 2 lane the moment you enter RJ, but becomes 4 lane after toll booth 37 kms before Jodhpur..

I hit Jodhpur around noon so had to battle city traffic but no jams.. smooth going.. i just followed gmaps and didnt ask for a way to bypass..

As for small towns/villages on RJ stretch, Nagaur is the only one to mention but it only takes 10 mins to pass through that.. counted total of only 10 speed breakers in entire RJ stretch and none of them really surprise you out of the blue.. check out the videos for that

Ah and one more thing.. i was stopped for speeding somewhere in RJ before Nagaur.. 1000 bucks fine with proper receipt.. no cops anywhere after that, incl borders.. wasnt stopped on Guj border for checking either

[JSB]

Here are some short videos of the trip.. enjoy!


RJ 2 lane road (before Jodhpur)

https://youtu.be/VXeHjvcdQVc

Nagaur/RJ stretch speed breakers

https://youtu.be/C02wJXCuK3w

https://youtu.be/m8pfYQMPqNo

Toll booth before Jodhpur after which road becomes divided 4 lane

https://youtu.be/yfFfIe-23TE

4 lane RJ after Jodhpur

https://youtu.be/jmVAJ5wFKqE

South RJ hills

https://youtu.be/JdX67bOahTU

GJ traffic! Palanpur/Mehsana

https://youtu.be/f-v8RG8YF2k

https://youtu.be/x2hsuFEVFFU

Roads between Baroda & Surat

https://youtu.be/WQDW1FZB7t4

Roads after Surat

https://youtu.be/aEhwe7n_Ff8

MH scenic drive

https://youtu.be/BJXQ-P87Ii0

https://youtu.be/Et6nMIThUbo

Crazy driver takes Uturn!

https://youtu.be/dtx6e9mRnv4

Near Accident! Skoda brakes impressive as always

https://youtu.be/hMRxlZARYL0

[prasanna.sub82]

I was going through this thread and noticed that the few posts that had people driving through Indore seem to have had a fabulous experience while the many that have taken the Ahmedabad/Vadodara routes have had a very patchy experience with multiple stretches on this route..

Wondering why more people still prefer the Gujarat route over Indore.. could regulars perhaps share their views?

[superutp]

Hello everyone.
Planning a Mumbai (Ghatkopar) to Delhi (Chanakyapuri) trip on Sat/Sun.
Going to do a 1 night stop. Itll be my wife and me only in my Chevy Cruze
Needed some advice on what route to take as I see different variation of the routes across the pages. Broadly my questions are:
- RJ route or MP route?
- If RJ route, Through udaipur or not? Can someone provide me a Gmaps route if possible
- Advice for night halt (where?)
- Any requirement for epass in any of the states?
Thanks in advance

[ais]

Originally Posted by prasanna.sub82

I was going through this thread and noticed that the few posts that had people driving through Indore seem to have had a fabulous experience while the many that have taken the Ahmedabad/Vadodara routes have had a very patchy experience with multiple stretches on this route..

Wondering why more people still prefer the Gujarat route over Indore.. could regulars perhaps share their views?

Its probably that the stops are better placed on the Gujarat route.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by superutp

Planning a Mumbai (Ghatkopar) to Delhi (Chanakyapuri) trip on Sat/Sun.
Going to do a 1 night stop. Itll be my wife and me only in my Chevy Cruze
- RJ route or MP route?

It might be late for an answer, looks I missed your PM and message here. I don't have any experience on the MP route beyond Indore towards Mumbai. Since you are travelling with your spouse, better come via Gujarat. You should drive as far as possible and break when you are tired. If you have a spare day, you can go to Udaipur and spend some time at Lake/ City otherwise, you should take the Sirohi route. Again, if you have a spare day, can stay at Mt. Abu else anywhere in Pali will be a good stop for the night. There used to be a RTDC property. No E-permits are required.

[superutp]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

It might be late for an answer, looks I missed your PM and message here. I don't have any experience on the MP route beyond Indore towards Mumbai. Since you are travelling with your spouse, better come via Gujarat. You should drive as far as possible and break when you are tired. If you have a spare day, you can go to Udaipur and spend some time at Lake/ City otherwise, you should take the Sirohi route. Again, if you have a spare day, can stay at Mt. Abu else anywhere in Pali will be a good stop for the night. There used to be a RTDC property. No E-permits are required.

Thanks Turbanator.

So I did the Mumbai to Delhi in 2 parts.
Trip 1 Sunday- Mumbai to Udaipur, 750kms, 650am to 650pm (12 hrs flat)
Trip 2 Monday Udaipur to Delhi, 650 kms, 725am to 545 pm (slightly over 10 hrs).
Stayed overnight at the Artist House Udaipur. Owing to some personal commitments had to reach Delhi so had no time for anything else. Overall the journey was quite fine apart from a few stretches here and there.
Will give more detailed insights in a subsequent post.

[Sea Cruiser]

I'm planning to drive from Goa to Delhi in my S cross with my wife and dog next month. I plan to do the trip in 3 days. What is the route I should take. What are the possible halts, which have good hotels? Thanks in advance

[prasanna.sub82]

Originally Posted by prasanna.sub82

Hey Guys, I plan to drive down Mumbai to Sawai Madhopur later this month and had the following queries:

1. Route recommendations - Gmaps shows me 2 options (one via Vadodara-Godhra- Banswara, the other via Nasik-Indore-Kota). Distance is pretty much the same, any feedback on the road conditions??

2. Is this doable in a day, if we start at 4am? We will be 2 of us who can drive, taking turns at the wheel. I am keen to avoid an overnight stay at hotels.

3. If a stay is inevitable, what should be my pitstop? Any recos for a safe overnight stay along the above routes?

TIA

Hey guys.. any feedback on the above?

additionally, over the last 2 days, state governments are introducing new restrictions / night curfews in Rajasthan, Gujarat and MP.. Maha might possibly follow.. does anyone have any new updates on this from the last few days based on what you have seen on the roads?

[pmhate]

I drove from Gurgaon to Thane in 22 Hrs in a 15 years old car
Nothing to be proud of and not recommended if you are not used to it but the need to be at home for Diwali and 20 years of driving experience helped me do this.

Travel Start Date and Time - 13 Nov 2020 | 5:15 AM
Travel End Date and Time - 14 Nov 2020 | 3:15 AM
Fuel Economy throughout - 25 km/l

Route followed -> Gurgaon - Jaipur - Beawar - Rajsamand - Udaipur - Samalji - Godhra - Vadodara - Surat - Thane

I left Gurgaon with 11hrs of good sleep. Further I will divide the timeline in two sections. First with my Journey legs and second with road conditions I faced at different sections.

Journey Legs

1. Gurgaon - Jaipur
Breakfast at Highway King Jaipur
5:15 AM to 8:45AM

2. Jaipur to Rajsamand
Lunch Break
9:15 AM to 1.45 PM

3. Rajsamand to Udaipur
Fuel Break
2:15 PM to 3:30 PM

4. Udaipur to Modasa
Tea Break
3:40 PM to 5:40 PM

5. Modasa to Vadodara
Fuel and Dinner Break
6:00 PM to 8.10 PM

6. Vadodara to Thane
Final leg with two restroom breaks of 10mins each at Choryasi and Charoti Toll Plaza
8:40 PM to 3.15 AM (next day)

Road Conditions -

Gurgaon to Beawar - Smooth roads. Easy to maintain 100+ kmph. Be aware of speed camera at RJ border and on Jaipur City bypass

Beawar to Udaipur - Scenic but Two Lane road. Should be easy to maintain 65 kmph in most sections.

Udaipur city - one has to pass through Udaipur City to be able to drive on good tarmac. Bypass is not fully ready.

Udaipur to Samalji - 80% of the section has good road and 20% section was bad. Even the good patch is unmarked and is only suitable to be driven in the day to maintain good speed and better visibility since you can come across some diversions all of a sudden with unmarked speed breakers.

Samalji to Vadodara - As soon as we take left on GJ SH. Road conditions improve. Easy to maintain 100kmph. Be aware of unmarked speed breakers (can only be spotted if you cautiously read the road signs) after every 20-30kms.

Vadodara to Thane - Good roads. maintained 100-120kmph throughout. Due to widening work, 50% of section was new tarmac and unmarked. Rest 50% was well marked. Luckily didn't face any traffic near Fountain hotel since it was early morning.

Tolls - Rs. 1310 all paid using Fastag on NH. Used dedicated car lanes and barely found 2-3 cars in the toll queues. No tolls on Gujarat SH.

Fuel - Rs. 5055
Did Full tank in HR, 2/3rd tank in GJ and 1/3rd in RJ.

Avoided filling full tank in RJ since diesel in RJ is costlier than in other 3 states enroute.
For reference, On 13 Nov 2020 prices were around
HR - Rs. 72.xx
RJ - Rs. 79.80
GJ - Rs. 76.xx
MH - Rs. 76.xx